Vegan Banoffee Pie with Dulce De Leche ~ No Bake, Gluten-Free

It is an English dessert made from bananas, cream and toffee sauce (dulce de leche). On a pastry base or crumbled biscuits and butter.

It is my first time to put my hands on this dessert. Why? When I think of the heavy sweet sauce, it puts me off instantly! But why do I pick it up today? First, I want to challenge myself to convert the dairy version to a vegan-friendly one. Second, find a lighter (not too sweet) dulce de leche to fit in.

The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar, stirring almost constantly. Much of the water in the milk evaporates and the mix thickens. The resulting dulce de leche is usually about a sixth of the volume of the milk used. And it will cause a browning reaction: caramelization. And the colour will change to golden brown.

I like to adapt the pie crust with pitted dates, nuts and without gluten, but coconut flour. To make the dulce de leche, the coconut milk is the easiest way I can grab from my cupboard. Also, I reduce the sugar content to only 1/3 of most of the normal recipe. The molasses just for the rich fudge colour.

Banana is the essential ingredient in the Banoffee pie. It is best to use the most ripened one with brown spots skin. After all, put the pie in the freezer for one or two hours to set nicely before slice it and serve!

For the crust: Drain the pitted dates. In a food processor, blitz all the ingredients until all come together. Prepare a pie dish with baking parchment in the bottom. Spread all the mixture in the pie dish evenly, can use the back of a spoon to smooth out. Chill in the fridge when you prepare the sauce.

For the Dulce De Leche: Scrap out the thick cream of the coconut milk without the liquid underneath. Slowly simmering the milk with salt, sugar and maple syrup. Stirring almost constantly. Until the sauce is deep golden brown and lightly coats a spoon. Off heat. Pour over the pie crust. Chill for few hours until set. Or put in the freezer for an hour until firm up.

Peel and slice the bananas into 1/2 cm thick. Put a layer of sliced banana evenly over the Dulce De Leche sauce.

Take the can of coconut milk out of the fridge and open it. Scoop the firm cream out of the top and put it in a bowl without the liquid underneath. Add a dash of vanilla extract, lemon juice, maple syrup, and then whisk until it is soft and forms peaks.

Spoon the coconut cream on top of the banana layer and smooth down gently with the back of a spatula.

Melt the chocolate if you used. Decorate the top of your own design.

Chill in the fridge for overnight will be better to firm up. I put in the freezer for two hours, then serve straight away. Just can’t wait any longer.